


Your Highness

by name_and_numbers



Series: Forbidden Love AU [1]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Bodyguard Ben Solo, Did I say angst?, F/M, Forbidden Love, Hux is an asshole, Knight Ben Solo, Lots of it, Princess Rey (Star Wars), Rey needs a hug too, so is Palpatine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:20:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22982395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/name_and_numbers/pseuds/name_and_numbers
Summary: From @reylo_prompts: "A lady and her knight forbidden love AU. Rey is arranged to marry someone else to make an alliance between two kingdoms that have been at war for a century. Her knight bodyguard, Ben, is in love with her and has to watch it happen, not knowing she's in love with him, too."
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: Forbidden Love AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1653736
Comments: 50
Kudos: 125





	Your Highness

He was going to be sick.

No amount of steady breaths, of distancing himself, or remembering his oaths could calm the knot tightening in his stomach. The voices behind the door to his left were muted, drunk on the ideas and visions that usually come with a wedding, though there was an undertone of nervous apprehension there, too. Ben would have to be blind to not notice it.

She hated the arrangement. She’d always hated it.

_ If I’m not to be given in love, then I’m nothing but property, _ she’d said only a few months earlier, looking out over the castle moat, staring at the kingdom - her birthright - below.  _ But grandfather will never negotiate with me. I’m to be silent, and sold. As though I’m nothing. _

_ Not to me _ , he’d desperately wanted to answer, but instead stood silent, unable to give anything other than his long standing presence. It hurt more than any wound he’d ever received to see the princess - his beautiful, fierce Rey - doubt her value. She’d been strong headed and stubborn in the ten years he’d served her under the crown, showing him a spirit and fight she’d hidden away from others. She was smart and quick witted, and he’d always felt his best when simply in her presence. To protect her was the greatest gift he’d ever been given.

He’d hoped that would have changed one day.

What a fool he was.

The door opened slowly next to him. He turned and lowered his head, meeting the gaze of Maz Kanata. The Princess’ governess was always mighty despite her size, but today she seemed as weary as Ben felt.

“Is there a problem?” He rumbled, hand instinctively gripping the blunt end of a knife he’d left in his trousers. His sword, strapped to his back, was saved for true emergencies.

“No, my lord.” Maz answered, shutting the door softly behind her. She took a step closer to Ben, meeting his gaze head on. “You cannot hide from me. You know that better than any other. Are you prepared for today?”

“I’m prepared to do my duty as the Princess’ bodyguard, as I have for--”

“You’ll not recite oaths to me, Benjamin Solo. I know what you hide, and I know you are aware.” The steel in her voice melted to genuine concern, her voice a whisper when she asked again, “Are you prepared for today?”

Whatever pretense he’d held at being strong for the day broke under the weight of her words. He swallowed thickly. “There was always a chance this day would come.”

“You say that as though you’ve not dreamed of it for yourself.”

“Maz…” His guard dropped, and he regarded her with all the heartache he tried to bury. “I would never ask her unless I knew she felt the same.”

“Are you certain she doesn’t share your feelings?”

What could he do? What option did he have, at that moment, that wasn’t going to be suspicious? “It’s too late for that now. My chance is gone.”

She gave him a smile more hopeful than he felt he could muster within himself. “Nothing is ever really gone, Benjamin. If your oath as her guard is a profession of your love, I know you will stand by her for the rest of your life. But please,” she reached out a sympathetic hand and rested it on his arm. “Do not give up hope yet.”

With that, she turned and opened the wooden door, holding up her arms and getting the attention of the others in the room. The throne room - with guests, royal visitors, and Rey’s new betrothed - awaited the bride to be’s entrance to begin the ceremony. Ben eyed Rey’s handmaidens, Rose among them, as they filtered out single file, dressed beautifully for the occasion. He felt the knot in his stomach grow tighter. Finally, Maz stepped out of the room, gesturing towards the open door. “She’s yours to escort when you’re ready.”

Ben didn’t know which part of this damned day he feared the most, but he was certain this would be near the top of the list. As the bodyguard of a Princess with no living family other than the king, his duty was to escort her to the throne room and eventually down the aisle to meet her groom. She’d never leave his sight for the rest of the day, and he’d assume his position outside of her chambers that night. Standing guard while she…

He grit his teeth so tightly it hurt. No, he knew which part of the day would be the worst. 

Stepping past Maz, he opened his mouth to ask Rey if she was ready, hoping to get this over with quickly.

Instead, he stepped into his very dreams. She was a vision in white, her tanned skin and freckles in full display, her dress cut perfectly around her small form. Her hair was braided and wound around her head, and white flowers were thread within the strands. Her favorite, he realized, from the palace gardens. She saw his reflection in the mirror and turned to face him fully. She wasn’t holding her bouquet. Her fingers visibly trembled.

“I can’t stop…” she confided, her voice small and shaken. “I can’t hold the bouquet.”

He covered the room in four long strides, the gentle clinking of his armor the only sound between them. Reaching out, he took her hands in his own, fighting back memories of the same motion done over the years, meant to comfort and encourage. Her skin was soft,  _ so _ soft in his calloused palms. Her perfume invaded his senses. He gave her a soft smile. “Oh, what beauty has graced us this day,” he whispered reverently. “You’ve never looked lovelier.”

“I’m terrified,” she whispered back, looking over him frantically, from his swept back hair, dark eyes, and groomed facial hair. “My freedom is to be sold for the world to see. Oh Ben…” Her jaw trembled. “I know what I must do… but I fear I don’t have the strength to do it.”

Boldly, he released one of her hands and caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers. His heart swelled, thinking of the young girl he’d watched grow up, who’d confided in him with her hopes and dreams, her desire of belonging and to be wanted.  _ He _ wanted her, had for years, and felt so very foolish in that moment to have convinced himself he didn’t deserve her. His Majesty, King Palpatine, would never have allowed it. But that didn’t mean they wouldn’t have tried. The scar he bore on his face was testament to his affection for her, having gotten it while protecting her during a commute to a neighboring kingdom. She’d insisted on taking care of him, saying it was the least she could do, and he’d allowed himself the time to pretend she loved him back.

“We’ll do it together,” he whispered, bringing his fingers down to gently cup her chin. “I’ll be by your side the entire day. I won’t leave you.”

“You can’t promise that.”

He smiled, fearing he was revealing more than he should, but not caring, lost in the moment that allowed the world to be theirs. “I’ve been with you since you were ten years old. Do you truly believe I’d abandon you now?”

She was fighting valiantly to hold back tears. She closed her eyes, taking shuddering breaths, before she reached forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. Ben momentarily froze, surprised at her boldness, before he wrapped his arms around her. It was indulgent, but safe; he knew, through design, that they were now the only two in this wing of the castle.

“I love my people,” she sobbed, gripping fabric through the plates of his armor. “And I want this war to end. I want them to have hope and peace. And yet… I’m so selfish. I don’t want to be a vessel of peace.” Her voice cracked. “I want only for a love to call my own. Please forgive me, Ben. Your Princess has failed you… Please forgive me...”

“You’ve done no such thing,” he said, taking a moment to squeeze her before pulling her back to look into her eyes. “Highness, it is no sin to desire love. It is a strength, never a weakness. And you... “ He paused, remembering years worth of nights spent being her shoulder to cry on, and the ears she needed most when she felt she had no one. Even with a grandfather, she was still mostly alone and left to her own devices. The closest she had to anything, platonic or not, was Ben. “You deserve to be loved, and you deserve to want it.”

“I know nothing of Armitage,” she said miserably, staring at a point in the sheen of his armor. “I’ve met him once and he... “ She trailed off, knowing she didn’t need to finish. Ben had been there and was similarly less than impressed with the arrogant and blunt Prince. Escorting Rey back to her room that night, she’d been pale as it sunk in that she was to be stuck with him for the rest of her life.

Swallowing his pride, and hating himself for what he was about to say, he guided her eyes back to his. “You mustn't lose hope so easily, Rey,” he whispered, catching her attention with the use of her name. “You must never give up hope. Maybe you’ll…” Stabbing himself would have been easier than to pretend he believed his own words. “Maybe you’ll learn to love one another.”

She deflated, looking at him with red eyes. “Ben…” She’d never said his name like that before.

“No matter what,” he continued, unwilling to dwell too much on what it could mean. “I’ll always be with you.”

He tried to put as much weight into the words as he could, leaving their meaning unspoken. Whether she shared it or not, it was as close to a confession as he could make. Rey stared at him a moment, then gently traced the scar from the bridge of his nose to the collar at his neck. Her fingers were cool, but no less calm; they trembled as they met the end of their trail, finally falling to rest on his chest. “I will need you now, today, more than ever.”

“My life is yours to have,” he said calmly, words he’d spoken many times to her over their time together. It was part of the oath he’d sworn the day he’d become her personal guard, and their weight had gone from duty to banter to so much more. He gave her another moment to collect herself, taking in her features, knowing he’d never have a chance to do so this close again. She truly was beautiful, and his heart ached all over again. Even if he wanted her, and she in return, he had nothing to offer of value other than his heart. Palpatine cared little for things he couldn’t touch.

He reached out and delicately tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, doing his best to not touch her face. “Ready?”

His strong, fierce Princess nearly broke again, but instead took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and grounded herself. When she opened them, she stared back with an emotion he couldn’t place. “Yes.” She stepped to a stool and grabbed the bouquet, reaching with her other arm to weave it through his as they stepped as one through the bedroom door. They were quiet, solemn through the corridors and hallways they’d grown together in, both dreading the destination, but unable to turn away. It was their duty, their honor, whether they liked it or not, nor how badly they both wished to run.

“Be with me,” Rey whispered under her breath as they stood before the corridor to the throne room. Ben wasn’t sure if she was speaking to him, but he answered her with his heart all the same.

“Always.”

He was numb as he guided her down an endless path to her future. Before them, the grandeur of the throne room, amplified by the radiance of the sun, may as well have been the procession to a funeral. Still, he stood tall, refusing to break when she leaned on him for strength, and lead her stoically to the awaiting Prince, Armitage Hux. His ruddy complexion looked sour, obviously upset at their tardiness, but Ben couldn’t find it within him to care.

Before letting her go, Ben turned and faced his Princess, the keeper of his heart, and knelt before her. Trailing his hand from her elbow to her fingers, he brought them to his lips and kissed her knuckles, lingering slightly longer than necessary, before standing tall and taking his place behind Hux. His eyes never left hers.

It happened so fast, yet so slowly at the same time. The pomp and ceremony faded in his ears, and his vision blurred until all he could see was her. He  _ had _ dreamed of this very moment so many, many times, and he allowed himself the luxury of daydreaming that  _ he _ was standing in Hux’s place, and if he believed hard enough, that she looked at him as she spoke her vows. Every deity that existed knew he spoke them in his heart to her.

_ Within these halls, I solemnly swear… _

_ Devotion and love… _

_ Loyalty and reverence… _

_ To keep you within my heart… _

_ Where death cannot part us… _

Just like that, it was over. 

Then, worst of all, it was only the beginning. 

Ben watched as Hux leaned forward to kiss his bride, Rey nervously leaning in to meet him, only to swerve his head at the last second and kiss her cheek. “Displays of affection are unbecoming for royalty. Control yourself,” he sneered, taking her arm and turning them down the pathway of the throne room to cheers and celebration. Ben, seething, carefully schooled his expression to indifference as he followed. Hux wasted no time taking them to a smaller chamber to complete the final steps for the treaty, and it was with a large boastful smile that he stood with Palpatine and held up the documentation for the kingdom to see. Rey was secondary in her own wedding, standing behind her new husband and grandfather with the most insincere smile Ben had ever seen. He ached for her, and told himself he probably would for the rest of his life.

The celebration went on outside the castle walls. Inside, Palpatine demanded order be restored to his throne room, and commotion followed shortly after the make it as though a wedding hadn’t happened at all. Ben never left the side of the newlyweds, staying near Rey as promised, and watching as Hux took the credit for everything. She truly was little more than a trophy to him, proof of his great conquest of a century long war. Bile rose in the back of his throat, but he tried to give a reassuring nod to Rey at every opportunity. She needed him. He  _ wouldn’t _ leave her.

But then night fell.

Rey was clearly exhausted. Years of practice helped her hide it well, but Ben knew all of her secrets and read through them easily. Her feet hurt from standing all day, her body ached from the weight of her dress and the corset beneath, and the emotional toil of the day had caught up to her. She made a valiant effort to smile through it all, ever the noble diplomat she was raised to be, but even she had her limits. Hux was less forgiving, his lips easy to read when he told her to straighten up. Shifting his hand under his formal wear, Ben made a fist until he could feel his nails cut into his skin. If he hadn’t sworn to protect the royal family…

Hux’s impatience finally got to him. Taking a step closer than he needed, he spoke quietly, but firmly. “Perhaps Her Highness is exhausted from the events of the day.”

“Nonsense,” Hux snapped, glaring at Ben. “She’s done nothing but wear a dress. The least she can do is be a dignified figure for her people.”

“She  _ is _ a dignified figure for her people. They love her, and it would do  _ you _ little good for your image to not consider her on the day of your wedding.”

“You dare talk back to me?” Hux now turned to face Ben fully, but his shorter frame offered little by way of intimidation. “Who are you to speak when not spoken to?”

“He’s my personal guard,” Rey spoke up, standing a little straighter. “ _ Our _ personal guard now, and he’s been given permission to speak freely years ago. I granted that to him.”

“Oh did you?” Hux drawled. “Well, that’s the first thing we’ll change. By my order, you are  _ not _ to speak your opinion anymore unless addressed first. Do you understand?”

Rey blinked. “Armitage, surely--”

“I will  _ not _ be chided by a commoner, not here and not ever. You are  _ my _ wife.  _ I _ will decide when you’ve had enough!”

Ben clenched his jaw so tightly he felt the muscles ache. He recalled the words he’d spoken to Rey earlier, meant to comfort and assure, and felt himself grow sick all over again.

_ Maybe you’ll learn to love one another. _

No. It was impossible. Armitage Hux was the opposite of a man she would learn to love. He looked at Rey, desperately trying to convey an apology, hating himself for the words he’d spoken to try and comfort her. All she could do was look back, and he hated how the fire had dimmed in her eyes.

_ Loyalty and reverence. _

He’d taken a vow. He stood straighter and faced Hux straight on.

“Good. That’s better.” He took Rey’s arm none too gently, leaning his face close to hers. “Perhaps it’s time for you and I to know one another better, in order to avoid any more… miscommunication, hmm?”

_ No… _

Rey visibly paled. She made a move to look at Ben, then looked back into Hux’s cold blue eyes, expressionless. “If that is your wish.”

“What I wish is for you to get out of this…” Hux gestured to the dress, making a face. “... monstrosity. I will not waste my time trying to get this off of you when that’s exactly what handmaidens are for.” He turned to Ben. “Take her to our chambers and wait at your post. Do you understand?”

“ _ Highness _ .” Ben put as much venom into the word as he could, turning to Rey and extending an arm.

“What’re you doing?” Hux curled his lip. “She can handle herself just fine. Do as you’re told and get her to our room.”

Ben slowed his pace considerably as he led Rey back up the path they’d come down hours earlier. It had felt like a lifetime ago, things changing so suddenly and sharply that it was hard to absorb it all. For as strange as he felt, he couldn’t imagine what was going through Rey’s mind. The inability to speak to her, after being able to for so long, was agonizing.

“I don’t care what he says,” she said under her breath when they were out of earshot. “When you’re with me, you may speak freely. Always.”

He turned to look at her, admiring how she held her head high despite how tired she looked. A fighter always. “You’re truly lovely,” he said quietly, repeating his words from earlier. “What you wear is not a monstrosity, and you deserve…” He trailed off.

_ You deserve to have it removed with care. _

“Ben, I’d like to ask you to ponder something.”

“Anything, Princess.”

Rey paused, collecting her thoughts. “I was frightened this morning, but the words I spoke were true. I’ve not failed you because I desire a love of my own and wish not to be a symbol of peace.”

Despite their slow pace, they arrived at the bedchambers far sooner than either of them wanted. Ben turned, shielding her from the corridor as though he could protect her from the future. “My words were true as well, Highness. You’ve not failed me in anything.”

The look she gave him held an expression he’d never seen before. Tenderness bloomed in her eyes, and the smile she gave him held a warmth he’d only ever dreamed of. Reaching out, Rey once again traced the scar on his cheek, but this time, she held her palm over it for a moment, her fingertips lightly brushing the skin of his ear. There was sadness, but conviction in her voice when she whispered, only for him, “I have failed you in one thing.”

Recognition slammed into him faster than he expected. The look she gave him was one he’d dreamed of… because in all of those dreams, he’d told her he loved her. And she told him she loved him back.

“Rey,” he breathed.

Suddenly, the door to the bedchamber opened. Rey dropped her hand from his cheek and turned, never turning back to him as she walked through the doors. Maz was standing in the open doorway, and the look she gave him - as well as the look on his face, he was sure - told him she knew everything.

“Hope, Benjamin,” she said quietly, then turned and shut the door.

He felt sick, a weird, twisted combination of disbelief, happiness, and dread. She couldn’t have said it in the words he’d wanted, but what Rey had just done… she loved him, and tonight…

… tonight he’d stand on the other side of the doors as she lay with another.

_ Be with me. _

_ I will need you now, today, more than ever. _

He would be there. Taking a deep breath, he removed his face of expression, hiding within himself, knowing tonight she’d be doing the same. He pictured a place where they could be together, where politics and limitations didn’t matter, and where he could lay with her the way she deserved. Even when Hux passed him he didn’t react, willing comfort and strength to the woman on the other side of the door who held his heart, and allowed hope to bloom that someday, his dreams - their dreams, as he knew now - could entirely come true.

**Author's Note:**

> [Reylo Prompts](https://twitter.com/reylo_prompts) put this horrible idea in my head and I'M SO SORRY. (But also not sorry.) Also thanks to [Lady Reylo](https://twitter.com/LadyReyIo) who said she'd read it if I wrote it, so... I guess it's ultimately her fault. <3


End file.
